What was the biggest highlight of your fellowship experience?

The biggest highlight of my fellowship experience is the fact that it is, in a way, ongoing to this day. I built meaningful relationships with my cohort members across the country. I continually find myself in awe at their careers and projects, they serve as a humbling reminder of the excellence that exists outside of the traditional tech ecosystem.

How has your career trajectory been impacted by completing the fellowship?

The fellowship transformed my own perception of what it means to be a colored person in the tech industry. I realized my ultimate career path was not set in stone based on decisions I made in my early 20s and that through the expansion of my own mind and network, my wildest professional aspirations are in reach.

Why do you think programs and communities such as Colorwave need to exist?

For many reasons, business school is not always an option for young professionals. This is especially the case for people of color, who already often view themselves as outsiders in professional settings. Colorwave needs to exist because there are so few resources readily available for those who falsely believe they are outsiders, who in fact could be major contributors to technology companies that will shape the world for decades to come. The inclusion of communities of color was ignored in each of the previous technological revolutions and we can not allow history to repeat itself once again.

How has the wealth gap impacted your life or family and what do you believe might be critical to overcoming that?

Before I entered the professional world, no one in my family was a shareholder of a company in any capacity. The institutional dearth of asset appreciation prevented my family from growing its wealth beyond inflation. All the while, more financial literate communities grew their wealth beyond our own economic stagnation, further pushing my family down the fiscal totem pole relative to peers who otherwise have been in the same income bracket.

Why would you recommend the program and joining Colorwave?

For all of the reasons stated above. I was someone who had the general profile that seemed more conducive to a career in early-stage tech, yet I still felt underserved on a daily basis. I recommend joining Colorwave to anyone who has the slightest intrigue in joining this world. It may be the right fit for them, or it may not be, but far too many people already assume its the latter when that is simply not true.

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